‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is exactly what Marvel needed
A cinematic universe on the brink of total collapse on one end, and James Gunn’s “Superman” bringing real challenge to the MCU on the other, some would say “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was Marvel’s last chance.
And as far as final gambits go, with the film’s $218 million worldwide debut and its high review scores among critics and viewers, it’s safe to say that Marvel’s first family hit it out of the park.
Fixing Marvel’s personality problem
Downey, Evans, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Renner, Johansson. The MCU we know and love today was built on the backs of these stars.
And while the likes of Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hiddleston have picked up the slack following “Avengers: Endgame,” none of them were heralded as the next leaders that the original Avengers passed the torch to.
Instead, we have a brand-new Captain America who hasn’t shaken himself off Steve Rogers’ shadow, an almost universally hated She-Hulk, and a promising protégée in Kate Bishop who we haven’t seen since 2021.
Credit where credit is due, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Lewis Pullman, and Wyatt Russell from “Thunderbolts*” are all personalities we can gravitate towards. But in all honesty (excluding Sentry), they’re all street-level heroes who’d struggle against a concrete wall.
But who exactly do we need? Icons with character and gravity, but enough fictional power that we believe they’d be able to beat the bad guy.
The Fantastic Four are exactly that
For all that can be said about Pedro Pascal, he is one of today’s biggest Hollywood stars and an amazing actor at that. Vanessa Kirby is a stellar casting who’s recently made a name for herself in the recent “Mission Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” films. Meanwhile, Joseph Quinn has steadily built his portfolio since his debut as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” while Ebon Moss-Bachrach is a multi-Emmy-award winner for his role as Richie in “The Bear.”
Combining that star power with a script that gets them right, visuals no CGI-geek can critique, and a mostly-positive audience reception, The Fantastic Four is definitely a group I and many of us can get behind as the MCU is set on a collision course with Dr. Doom.
It’s just a shame we just got them now. If anything, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” should’ve been the first film after “Endgame.”
Getting the Fantastic Four right
Pascal as Reed Richards is the tortured genius we expect him to be. As the leader of the team tasked with saving the world, he puts the burden on himself to think of the worst possible outcome, and solve and invent his way out of any predicament. But when things fail, he also puts all the blame on himself—it’s his most powerful weapon and his greatest weakness at the same time: his brain.
Kirby’s Sue Storm is the heart of The Fantastic Four. She’s warm yet stern, but will lead the team in the right direction when carefully placed plans don’t work the way they want. And as a mother in such an unfortunate situation, Kirby beautifully and passionately displays the indomitable power of a mother’s love.
Though Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm in the 2005 and 2007 adaptations will forever be iconic, his depiction was dated and ultimately portrayed him as the typical dumb jock. Quinn, while still showing flashes of the womanizing Human Torch, proves you can be cool without being an asshole.
Unfortunately, Moss-Bachrach gets the short end of the stick as The Thing, as we don’t get many character moments with him. But in those few instances, we get to see a Ben Grimm who remains an optimistic and inspiring figure despite his own and ongoing personal battle.
And if I may say so, it’s honestly just refreshing to see a positive relationship between the Human Torch and The Thing.
Marvel’s most desperate and serious film yet
Marvel has always had a bad reputation for being too quippy and unserious. But since “Thunderbolts” we’ve seen an obvious change in tone, and it carries over to “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Sure, Johnny and Ben will have a light-hearted argument here and there, and there will be laughs—but the film recognizes the desperate time they’re in and acts accordingly.
Emotional moments are left alone to settle, and serious sequences aren’t interrupted by ill-timed jokes and quips. And this may be Marvel’s most tonally consistent film in a long time.
A standalone comic book movie? What a breath of fresh air
Even an old dog can learn new tricks, and Marvel, which practically invented and popularized cinematic universes and interconnected films, made “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” a stand-alone title.
Why is that a good thing? As a fan, watching the movie won’t feel like homework—where you need to watch three films and two TV series beforehand to understand what’s going on.
As for the greater MCU? It’s a Fantastic Four movie without 17 years of Marvel films worth of pressure to weigh it down. It’s a wonderful title that doesn’t have to carry on the momentum from anything beforehand. It’s free to be its own thing while also setting up an interesting future for the MCU.
